


Justice

by LovinJackson



Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-05
Updated: 2015-02-05
Packaged: 2018-03-10 16:35:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3297212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovinJackson/pseuds/LovinJackson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Severide and Otis share a moment in the wake of Keeler's supposed disappearance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Justice

"He aint out there anymore, Otis."

A calm relief swept through Kelly's system as he said those words out loud. It was a feeling he hadn't thought was possible, not without getting his hands on Keeler himself. Kelly would never forget the fear he'd felt when Katie had gone missing. The helplessness he'd felt as the time stretched on. He might not have known Katie her whole life but she was his sister and he couldn't do a damn thing to save her and he would have done anything. He had been planning on doing whatever needed to be done to make sure that bastard didn't walk away from what he had done. But his father had gotten there first and Kelly wouldn't ever forget the quietness of his apartment despite Shay's rambling as his father looked at him and assured him that Keeler was out of the picture. It was the look in Benny's eyes and Kelly couldn't begin to feel bad. He'd shared that need to make Keeler pay for Katie's pain. Benny Severide had done what needed to be done. For once he'd done right by his children.

A few beats went by with Otis holding his gaze, his eyes full of questions, before he pulled back and nodded. He didn't ask those questions and Kelly wasn't sure whether it had been the tone in his voice, the look in his eyes or the fact that Otis trusted him. He was grateful regardless.

Kelly smiled. Justice had been served. Not in a way that Detective Lindsay agreed with but it had been served nonetheless. Keeler didn't deserve to walk free because of some technical bullshit. Hell, Keeler didn't deserve to rot away in a cell. Keeler had taken something from his sister. The shattered, broken look in her eyes still haunted him. But worse than that was the utter helplessness he felt to wipe it away from her. It was worse than when she was missing. He'd been too late. Katie had been put in that situation because of his actions and that was something that he wasn't sure he could forgive himself for. He'd failed her.

"Good ... good," Otis finally spoke, breaking Kelly out of his self recrimination. It was done. Katie was safe and doing her best to move on, Otis needed to as well.

The man in question was leaning back against the bar and looking at the party happening around them. Molly's Bar was teeming with people. Friends and family all mingled together, laughing and drinking. Casey and Dawson were enjoying each other's company. Mouch and Cruz were still looking stunned that Herman's wife had taken the surprise vasectomy so well. Kelly found himself smiling again as his friends enjoyed themselves. They all deserved this.

"Listen ..." Otis started, turning back to face him. He looked torn and bothered.

"Otis, stop," Kelly dismissed straight away. The younger man had been all out of sorts since Katie's disappearance and had been determined to know what their plan was, he had been determined to be involved. It was commendable and Kelly had more respect for him now because of it. But the last thing he had wanted was Otis getting himself in trouble or worse because of this. He hadn't been able to protect Katie, but maybe he could protect Otis from making a costly mistake. Someone needed to be there for his sister if Kelly got himself in trouble. Besides, she was his sister. It was his job.

"No, I need to say this. What happened with Katie? I'm ... I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect her. I should have ..."

Kelly shook his head. "We've been over this. This wasn't your fault."

"I need you to know that I really did care for her ...  _do_  care for her. It wasn't just for fun." Otis' voice was thick with emotion. His words honest and true and Kelly realised that he wasn't the only one to lose Katie now that she'd left Chicago and moved on.

Kelly reached out and squeezed Otis' shoulder. "I know that, man. Things will …" Things will what? Kelly wondered. Would things work out? Would Katie come back and things go back to normal for all of them. It felt like a hollow promise because he honestly didn't know what would happen from here on out. "Things will work out, man. However they're meant to."

Kelly raised his beer bottle. "To Katie."

Otis smiled, looked down at his own bottle in his hands and then raised the bottle to meet Kelly's in a toast. "To Katie."

They stood there for a moment content in the knowledge that they were okay, that it was over. The sound of their friends' loud voices and laughter provided a happy protective shield around the whole bar. Molly's bar was a sanctuary, a safe haven for their family and right in that moment Kelly didn't want to be anywhere else.

"I'm gonna …"

"Go," Kelly laughed, sending Otis on his way.

Otis turned to leave but then stopped one last time. He turned back to Kelly, sincerity back on his face. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Kelly watched as Otis joined the throng of people inhabiting the bar. His eyes slid to the person behind the bar. Shay was at work, pouring drinks, laughing and smiling. It wasn't so long ago that his best friend had almost been lost to him. Right now he felt grateful. His friends were happy and together and his sister was now safe.

Kelly raised his glass once more in the air, in a private salute to a man he never really had much to be thankful for … Benny Severide. "To Justice being served."

**The end.**

 


End file.
